In a game filled with tasks open to the player, sometimes it’s hard to focus in on the most useful in the game. Gardening is one of these tasks in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, not the most exciting or action-filled, but it does provide some of the biggest benefits in the game.
It’s definitely a grind in comparison to others, taking commitment to a pretty low-key task and staying patient throughout the process. Luckily, the greenhouse is also one of the only things that won’t take up any in-game time, letting the player tend to their plants without worrying about the clock.
10 Planting And Harvesting
As soon as the greenhouse is opened through the Green Thumbs Beginning quest, players should plant and harvest as much as possible any time they get a chance to roam the monastery.
Not only is this the quickest way to farm XP and speed up the process, it also opens up the very restricted start. Allowing players to get to the best part of this mini-game and reap their rewards without getting discouraged by long wait times.
9 Group Them Together
Variety is often the best way to go with most things, getting the option to benefit from different sources. However, players will know what seed will give them the stat boosts they need, allowing some concentration in what seeds they plant and maximizing their chances of getting it.
Some will opt to mix and match and their are guides out there, but sticking to one goal prevents any disappointments. It will also move the timeline for getting to the big ticket items up, having a more direct effect on the character early on.
8 Professor Rank
When players first start gardening they will only be able to plant one seed, limiting how fast their garden will grow. As players move up the ranks, more seeds and cultivation techniques will be at their disposal.
Basically as the ranking increases, so does the overall health and size of the garden. Giving bigger harvests with better items, all the gold that will go into this task will pay off and some. At rank A, players will be able to plant 5 seeds at a time and use Pegasus’s Blessing, the best cultivation technique in the game.
7 Cultivate
Simply planting a seed and coming to collect rewards isn’t going to get many players far, especially if they’re in any kind of rush to get the goodies. Seeds have to be maintained and looked after, that’s where cultivation comes in.
There’s a total of 6 techniques that will eventually be available, 5 of which will cost the player some gold. While some may be put off by the idea, it’s worth the temporary hit to get the most out of every seed.
6 Increase The Yield
While this might seem like a straightforward tip, some don’t realize the importance of expanding their patch. While all the other aspects to gardening will increase the odds, having as many chances as possible is the best bet.
This will get easier the more experience and higher Professor rank, allowing up to 5 seeds to be planted every week or so.
5 Character Stats
One of the most annoying parts of the game is levelling a great character, only to be left with an unbalanced or lopsided stat board at the end. The best way to cancel out the random stat boosts is by harvesting seeds that give the best items.
It’s just knowing what seeds will give each stat boost, cultivating that seed properly and harvesting. Players can now count on their favorite pick to custom boost at their will.
4 Know The Rewards
As much fun as it is, gardening isn’t easy. It takes a good chunk of gold and continuous care and the last thing anyone wants is a wasted effort. That’s why knowing the ins and outs of the seed rewards is highly recommended, avoid the problem altogether.
This will become especially important the better and more experienced a garden is, putting down 2000 gold to cultivate only to be surprised by the harvest is a bad look for anyone.
3 Invest
For something that’s supposed to be a mini-game, gardening isn’t the cheapest hobby to pick in Three Houses. Buying seeds and cultivating them will put a surprising amount of pressure on the wallet.
Make sure to plan ahead for this; it won’t be the most exciting use of gold but it can definitely be the most beneficial. This will be obvious in the long run when levelling up a stat no longer becomes a gamble, bringing a steady flow to the game.
2 Unlock Merchants
The Southern and Eastern merchants are locked at the beginning of the game, forcing the player to complete quests to do business. While both are valuable, the Southern merchant specializes in gifts, seeds, and meats.
Luckily it only takes one quest, Clearing The Way, to access them. Wait for the Verdant Rain Moon to unlock the quest, pushing players to clear out bandits from the trade route. The weekend after players can shop ’til they drop.
1 Other Uses
While the obvious key rewards for gardening are those that can boost stats, there’s a lot more useful items coming down the pipe. From flowers that can be used as gifts to vegetables for improving the mood anywhere you go.
They can improve relationships and start romances, all while improving the characters gameplay. Those who glaze over the gardening section are at a big disadvantage and miss out on some serious grind assistance in every aspect.
